1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a method and system for converting an electronic data object into a custom electronic learning object. More particularly, the present invention relates to the translation of one or more electronic data objects (e.g., documents, streaming video, etc.) into one or more custom learning objects that enable customized (personalized) courses and training that can be provided over a computer network.
2. Background Art
Computers have become pervasive in all aspects of business and education largely because of their ability to quickly and flawlessly store and retrieve information. The ability to network computers further eased the dissemination of information to individuals, limited groups of people, and/or large audiences. Networks include both private networks, such as one-to-one connection, computers within an office or company, virtual private networks (VPNs), etc. and public networks, such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), the Internet, etc., and combinations of public and private networks.
The unique capabilities of computers and computer networks, in contrast to paper documents, allow users to retrieve, store, and interact with information in many new and useful ways that are beneficial to employers. As a result, the field of Information Technology (IT) rapidly expanded into the public and private sectors. This created a new and substantial challenge for employers: finding, training, and retaining skilled IT workers (“IT specialists”) to install, manage, and support the IT needs of the employer. Some employers have encountered substantial problems in hiring IT specialists, and have opted to retrain workers with non-IT backgrounds. However, this approach quickly becomes a large cost for employers. As businesses, governments, not-for-profits, educational, and healthcare institutions become increasingly dependent on IT, the challenge to employ IT specialists grows. However, IT specialist staffing problems is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Another challenge, parallel to IT specialist staffing but perhaps more subtle, is an employer's need to find, train, and retain skilled workers to use IT to perform the “business” of the employer (“IT users”). IT users, and the jobs they perform, are the fundamental reason that there is such a growing dependency on IT. IT users far outnumber IT specialists for most employers, and are the workers that create goods or perform services on behalf of the employer. Therefore, an employer can incur substantial costs, both in terms of efficiency and customer satisfaction, when IT users are not properly trained on using IT. For example, an employer's new database server may be superbly maintained by highly skilled IT specialists. The server and software can be the fastest available with the most sophisticated analytical tools. However, if the employees in accounting or marketing (i.e., IT users) don't know how to perform queries, then these resources are wasted.
Prior to the rise of IT, printed manuals provided the most common source for learning. Today, many manuals available over networks are merely computerized versions of the old printed manuals. While some helpful capabilities such as hyperlinks are often included, the full potential of the media remains underutilized. Further, additional information, including anecdotes and procedures scattered around an organization, are increasingly recognized as part of an employer's intellectual capital. Companies are beginning to understand the need to make this information available to employees in a more organized and accessible manner.
Technology changes at a rapid pace, and employees do not produce any benefit to an employer while being trained on the latest release. Consequently, knowledge needs to be organized and disseminated in a highly efficient and cost effective manner to minimize training time. Computers, and especially networked computers, offer an opportunity for employers to move beyond the generic manual, electronic or paper.
For example, the multimedia capabilities of computers provide a unique avenue for providing information to users. When compared to the traditional text-only environment, multimedia offers a richer learning environment in which to communicate complex ideas. Using audio, for example, information can be provided using speech or music. Similarly, video can be used to show re-enactments of complex software procedures. Exploiting the capabilities of networked computers, video and audio can be used to show real-time satellite data downloaded from the Internet to test skill acquisition with live data, or provide synchronous distance learning that incorporates the traditional, and still-valuable, instructor-led classroom.
Depending on the intended audience, the appropriate IT platform for presenting information may also vary. Different situations/audiences may desire information presented over traditional platforms (i.e., desktop/portable computers connected to a network), wireless delivery to devices (i.e., personal digital assistants, cell phones, etc.), and other devices (i.e., WebTV, set-top boxes, etc.). Other considerations may also factor into information delivery. For example, the quantity of data may be adjusted according to bandwidth limitations inherent in the connection method used, including modems, T1 lines, cable modems, satellite connections, etc.
Further, learning styles can be taken into consideration in how information is presented. Some individuals learn best by listening, others by watching, still others by doing. Some learn best by having to assimilate ideas and re-express them to others by speaking or writing, and some learn best with a mix of styles, depending on the subject or skill or idea that the individual seeks to grasp. Visual, verbal, auditory, or mathematical expressions all have their place in learning. One strength of the current technology is its ability to employ different styles with the same content. For example, some web sites offer sound effects with audio files and the option for users to disable them, or the selection between frames or non-frames in a web page layout. Every time an individual selects one over the other he/she exercises a cognitive preference.
As the presence and use of technology matures, workers have become increasingly comfortable with technology. Workers are becoming accustomed to incorporating technology in their entertainment, communications, and educational environments. Already, workers using CD-ROM or computer-based training (CBT) systems to enhance job skills are demanding more from these learning environments. Companies can easily retain and create excellent employees by offering not only the latest training content, but a training approach that can be customized to the distinctive way in which each employee learns.
By properly exploiting the abilities of computers, employers and educators could customize the selection, sequencing and presentation for each individual based on their knowledge, needs and methods of learning. While some systems are being developed to meet this need, these systems currently require a great deal of expertise to implement a useable product.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a method and system for separating information content from presentation format thereby allowing for the customization of the presentation on the basis of individual or group profiles (language, familiarity with topic, and/or learning style), organizational needs and technical factors (hardware and bandwidth availability, handicapped accessibility), and/or legal or regulatory requirements. Additionally, there exists the need for a method and system that allows a corporation or group to transform, without substantial expertise, existing manuals into computerized learning environments that are customizable based on the current knowledge, needs and learning style(s) of individuals and groups of individuals.
For both IT specialists and IT users, today's training material is tomorrow's reference material. Consequently, a further need exists for a system and method that uses identical information as both training and reference material. Training and reference material should be rooted in the content, not the presentation format, of an organization's knowledge base. Although material may be initially presented in a format suitable for training, the system and method ensures that the same material is available, and appropriately recast, for later reference. As a result, the system and method yield organization-wide content with user-specific presentation.